Mariota stiff-armed by Carey for Pac-12 player of the year

UO quarterback named to all-conference first team along with Grasu, Ekpre-Olumu

It’s hard to win the Heisman Trophy when your own conference doesn’t name you as its offensive player of the year.

The Pac-12 coaches voted Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota to the All-Pac-12, first team on Monday. However, Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey, who rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns during the Wildcat’s 42-16 upset of the Ducks, was named the conference’s offensive player of the year.

Mariota, the Heisman front-runner before his knee injury and the Ducks’ two losses, is joined by teammates Hroniss Grasu (center) and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (cornerback) on the first team. All three were also on the first team last year.

Oregon senior defensive end Taylor Hart was named to the all-conference second team defense and junior defensive back Erick Dargan was named to the second team specials teams unit.

Arizona State’s Todd Graham is the Pac-12 coach of the year. Sun Devils defensive lineman Will Sutton has repeated as the defensive player of the year.

UCLA two-way throwback sensation Myles Jack was voted as the conference’s offensive and defensive freshman of the year.

First Team Offense

Second Team Offense

QB

Marcus Mariota, So., Oregon (2)

QB

Taylor Kelly, Jr., Arizona State

RB

Ka’Deem Carey, Jr., Arizona (2)

RB

Tyler Gaffney, Sr., Stanford

RB

Bishop Sankey, Jr., Washington

RB

Marion Grice, Sr., Arizona State

WR

Brandin Cooks, Jr., Oregon State

WR

Ty Montgomery, Jr., Stanford

WR

Paul Richardson, Jr., Colorado

WR

Jaelen Strong, So., Arizona State

TE

Chris Coyle, Grad., Arizona State

TE

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jr., Washington

OL

Evan Finkenberg, Grad., Arizona State

OL

Jamil Douglas, Jr., Arizona State

OL

Hroniss Grasu, Jr., Oregon (2)

OL

Cameron Fleming, Sr., Stanford

OL

Marcus Martin, Jr., USC

OL

Andrus Peat, So., Stanford

OL

Xavier Su’a-Filo, Jr., UCLA (2)

OL

Isaac Seumalo, So., Oregon State

OL

David Yankey, Sr., Stanford (2)

OL

Khalil Wilkes, Sr., Stanford

First Team Defense

Second Team Defense

DL

Ben Gardner, Sr., Stanford

DL

Scott Crichton, Jr., Oregon State

DL

Trevor Reilly, Sr., Utah

DL

Taylor Hart, Sr., Oregon

DL

Will Sutton, Sr., Arizona State (2)

DL

Devon Kennard, Sr., USC

DL

Leonard Williams, So., USC

DL

Hau’oli Kikaha, Jr., Washington

DL

Tenny Palepoi, Sr., Utah

LB

Anthony Barr, Sr., UCLA (2)

LB

Carl Bradford, Jr., Arizona State

LB

Trent Murphy, Sr., Stanford (2)

LB

Myles Jack, Fr., UCLA

LB

Shayne Skov, Sr., Stanford

LB

Hayes Pullard, Jr., USC

LB

Chris Young, Sr., Arizona State

DB

Deone Bucannon, Sr., Washington State

DB

Dion Bailey, Jr., USC

DB

Alden Darby, Sr., Arizona State

DB

Osahon Irabor, Grad., Arizona State

DB

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Jr., Oregon (2)

DB

Marcus Peters, So., Washington

DB

Robert Nelson, Sr., Arizona State

DB

Rashaad Reynolds, Sr., Oregon State

DB

Ed Reynolds, Sr., Stanford (2)

DL

Ben Gardner, Sr., Stanford

DL

Scott Crichton, Jr., Oregon State

DL

Trevor Reilly, Sr., Utah

DL

Taylor Hart, Sr., Oregon

First Team Specialists

Second Team Specialists

PK

Zane Gonzalez, Fr., Arizona State

PK

Vincenzo D’Amato, Sr., California

P

Tom Hackett, So., Utah

P

Travis Coons, Sr., Washington

RS

Ty Montgomery, Jr., Stanford

RS

Nelson Agholor, So., USC

ST

Soma Vainuku, So., USC

ST

Erick Dargan, Jr., Oregon

Joe Hemschoot, Sr., Stanford

Ryan Hoffmeister, Jr., UCLA

RS=return specialist

ST=special teams player (not a kicker or returner)

(2) Two-time first team selection

Offensive Player of the Year: Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona

Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Will Sutton, DL, Arizona State

Ryan Thorburn covers Oregon football for The Register-Guard. Thorburn came to Eugene from Boulder, where he covered the Denver Broncos (2000-'07) and Colorado athletic department (2007-'13) for the Daily Camera. In 2013, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for beat writing. Follow Ryan on Twitter @rgduckfootball.